The famed Harlem Gospel Choir will be having a silent night, rather than singing it, when it comes to a holiday performance with Fox News talking head Glenn Beck, according to a report.
The singing troupe, which has toured the world and performed for presidents, kings and popes, was supposed to appear in a simulcast film of Beck's novel "The Christmas Sweater -- A Return to Redemption," which hits theaters Thursday.
The choir canceled the performance on Monday, allegedly for financial reasons, according to the Daily News.
But James Rucker, the executive director of the group "Color for Change," which has convinced over 80 advertisers to dump Beck's conservative talk show, said the choir turned their back on Beck at his behest.
"We wanted to make sure they understood who Beck was," Rucker told the News. "We believe their mission is about spreading the Gospel and promoting harmony, and we thought Beck was the antithesis of that."
Rucker told the paper that he sent the choir clips from some of Beck's more vitriolic shows, such as the one where he said President Obama "has a deep-seated hatred for white people."
The Harlem Gospel Choir's manager, Anna Bailey, said they pulled out because of green, not black and white.
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"I had to gracefully back out," she told the News. "There wasn't enough money to pay our agent's commission."
Bailey said she was unaware that some critics consider Beck a race-baiter.
"We don't take a political stance," said Bailey. "This is America. Glenn Beck can believe and say what he believes. He has a good forum for him to do that and God bless that. It was just a slight confusion when the booking was made."
